Tax-time bargains

Save thousands buying a new car with these End of Financial Year deals.

June 22 2013

David Berthon

Toyota's 3.0 manual diesel HiLux 4 x 4 can be picked up for $39,990, a saving of $5000.

You’ve heard it all before. Buying a new car before the end of the financial year is the very best time to score a great deal.

Well, news this week that the Aussie dollar had dropped to a two-and-a-half-year low against the American Greenback really does mean that now is the right time to grab a bargain, especially on an imported model.

According to Westpac’s Chief Currency Strategist, Rob Rennie, “after watching our Dollar fall 12 percent this week, to just below 92 cents from a high of over $1.05 last year, I believe we could well see it finally settle around the 88 cents mark.”

Such an exchange rate tumble has no doubt sent alarm bells ringing at vehicle importers, which have profited from substantial growth over the last two years on the back of sharper prices and added specification levels due to the high Aussie Dollar.

Whilst it will no doubt take some time for imported vehicle prices to reflect the currency shift, importers will, eventually, be left with no other option but to raise prices.

The current new car market is highly competitive and driven by finance rates that are the lowest for a decade. As one major dealer put it “I have never seen such a level of competition in the car market in more than 40 years of trading – clearly, new car buyers have never had it so good. But the currency shift will mean a lot of the current bargains are bound to dry up.”

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Now really could be the best time to buy the car of your dreams. But check the build date – if it’s a 2012-build then it has effectively already lost one year’s depreciation so negotiate hard. Here’s a rundown on the best deals currently in the marketplace.

With sales up 62.6 per cent, the Giulietta is now the Italian brand’s big seller. Now under control of the Fiat Chrysler Group inAustralia, Alfa has broadened the Giulietta’s range with two new entry-level models, starting at $25,990 for the 1.4-litre manual. While it has fewer features than the previous base Giulietta, the starting price is $10,000 lower than it was previously. Best bet here is free on-roads on the higher grades – such as the Distinction and QV hot hatch – where you can save $3600 to $4100 depending on model.

With a host of model updates and new arrivals such as the stunning Vanquish, Aston Martin sales are up 33.3 per cent. Most of these exclusive sports cars are purchased to order so any discounts are usually hidden by generous trade-in values. However, low-kilometre demonstrator models can still be purchased below the retail price; expect up to $70,000 discount on a $400-$450,000 model but smaller cuts on low-volume models.

The German brand’s overall sales results are up an impressive 19 per cent but some models like A4, A5, A6 and TT have slowed by as much as 40 per cent. Expect free on-road costs on these highly-optioned models or deal hard to get options including metallic paint of up to $5000 at no cost. Smaller discounts can be negotiated on high-flying Q3, Q5 and Q7 SUV’s. Negotiate free on-roads on A1 and A3 models, where you can expect to save around $3700.

A change of dealership has introduced more aggressive deals on demonstrator models, which has increased sales by a whopping 116 per cent. You won’t save much on the very low-volume $662,857 Mulsanne saloon, but the Continental GT Coupe and Convertible and four-door Flying Spur offer best discounts – $50,000 to $70,000 savings depending on model and age.

The German marque’s staple 3-Series and 5-Series sedans are still selling strongly, and have contributed to a 14.2 percent increase in sales. Coincidentally, you can haggle for a $3000 discount – or the same value of options – on the 3-Series and a $5000 deal on 5-Series models under $100k. Double that for the high-end V8 variants. And expect discounts of between $30-$40k on low-volume 6-Series coupe and convertible and 7-Series sedans.

Despite price reductions introduced last December, sales of the Chinese car brand are down 35.2 percent so far this year. The 1.3-litre manual three-door J1 hatch was sharpened to $9990, the larger J3 five-door hatch had $2000 knocked off and is now down to $12,990 and the J11 compact SUV is just $17,990. On top of the price cuts, the latest incentive is to pay half now and the balance in 12 months with no interest or fees.

The second-generation 300C has helped Chrysler achieve a massive 1000 percent sales increase over last year. Despite its popularity, $2000 savings can be had on the entry 3.6-litre V6 auto Limited and pay around $43,000. Save another $5000 on the 3.0-litre turbo diesel Luxury (around $53,000) and negotiate a $6k saving on the high-performance SRT8 with its 6.4-litre Hemi V8, dropping it to around $60,000.

For large families, the seven-seat Grand Voyager with a 2.8-litre V6 and auto offers savings of nearly $6000.

With only one model – and question marks over whether the brand will survive, even in America – Dodge sales are down 20.1 percent. Even still, you can save up to $3000 on the upgraded Journey seven-seat people mover in base SXT spec and up to $3750 on the higher-grade RT model.

The strength of the dollar and economy has helped Ferrari sales lift by 35.7 percent already this year. But Ferrari discounts on new cars and demonstrators centre on the availability of cars and are usually clouded in higher trade-in prices. An abundance of Californiaconvertibles means there’s a good chance on saving some coin. Insiders have acknowledged that discounts can run as high as $70,000 on some models.

A revitalized range, thanks to factory ownership under the Fiat Chrysler umbrella, has elevated overall sales by 157.4 per cent. Even though the new entry-level 500 Pop kick starts the range at $14,000 driveaway, the best buy in the baby 500 range is the 900cc manual Twin-Air Lounge Cabriolet; negotiate a driveway deal and save $2000. The new 2.4 auto Freemont seven-seat 2WD SUV starts at a sharp $27,000 driveaway.

It’s been a tough start to the year for the blue oval with only a 1.5 percent increase in sales. Sharp pricing on the new VF Commodore hasn’t helped it either, but Ford is fighting back and offering a five-year/200,000km warranty across its Falcon range. The best deal is the XR6 Turbo, which has dropped below $40,000 but can be negotiated down to $36,000. The non-turbo XR6 manual has already been sharpened to $33,990 but can be haggled down to an amazingly cheap $31,990.

Like its Chinese cousin, Chery, sales of the Great Wall range are down 35.6 percent. There’s still savings to be had on its best-selling X-series 4WD; Pay $26,990 for the X200 2.0-litre turbo-diesel auto and $21,990 for the X240 2.4-litre petrol manual.

Holden is hoping to reverse its 9.9 percent sales slide with a raft of new products this year, led by the updated Cruze, high-tech new VF Commodore, Malibu mid-size sedan and its Trax baby SUV.

With the exception of the VF Commodore/WM Caprice, Cruze, Volt and Malibu, Holden is offering a five-year/130,000km warranty with roadside assist for all other models at no extra cost, and will also throw in the cost of the first scheduled service.

Outgoing VE Commodore models will be going for a song and discounts can be negotiated at up to $10,000 depending on model. Captiva 7 diesel models to June 30 are the same price as their petrol equivalent – pay $36,990 for the CX, $39,990 for the LX.

It’s been a positive start for the Japanese brand with sales up 52.9 percent. And with the new Accord just arriving in showrooms, good discounts can be found on run-out 2012 models. Negotiate the 2.4-litre auto VTi at $27,990 and the higher-grade VTI-L at $37,490 and save $2000 on both. Pay $42,990 for the 3.5-litre V6 Luxury and save $9300. Corporate fleet buyers can also gain another $2000 rebate.

Save $2500 on the Civic 1.8-litre manual VTi sedan at $21,990 driveaway and $3000 on the VTi-L auto sedan at $24,990 drive-away. There aren’t too many deals at present on the entry $27,490 Honda CR-V VTi auto SUV however you can negotiate on the high-grade 2.4 VTi-L and save $4000.

Even though it hasn’t added too many new products in the first half of the year, Hyundai sales continue to climb and are 6.8 per cent up on last year. It is currently running a ‘Double-up’ promotional campaign which offers a $1000 bonus on certain models on top of free on-road costs. The i20 hatch starts from $12,990, the Elantra from $18,990, the i30 hatch from $19,990 and the ix35 SUV from $25,990 which carries the biggest saving of $4700. The best Hyundai discount is on the 1.7-litre Active i40 turbo-diesel manual and automatic sedan at $29,990 and $31,990 respectively. Other i40 models carry smaller discounts of $3900.

This luxury newcomer has been slow to gain traction, so there are some good discounts to be had, particularly on its FX SUV range. All models are offered with free on-road costs while several are available on a 3.9 percent finance comparison rate with a guaranteed buy back figure on a fixed term contract. Most FX SUV models carry a saving of $10,000, while the M sedan and G coupe/convertible offer around $7000.

Isuzu hasn’t benefited as much from the boom in popularity of dual-cab utes, with sales down 5.1 percent, which means there are some great deals to be had. The best one is a $4000 saving on the 3.0 manual turbo-diesel D-MAX LS-M 4 x 4 Crew Cab at $39,990, including a five-year/130,000km warranty. A similar saving can be had on the SX 4 x 4 crew cab at $37,990 as well as the 4 x 2 variants.

Significant price cuts late last year, and a revitalized XF range, have led to a 19.8 increase in sales for Jaguar. There are small discounts on entry-level XF models but larger ones – between $5000-$7000 - on high-end petrol and turbo-diesel models. Low volume XJ saloon and XK Coupes and convertibles carry discounts between $15,000 and $20,000 depending on model, options and availability. Jaguar demonstrator or executive vehicles receive a further two-year/200,000km non-factory extended warranty for additional peace of mind.

Jeep sales are running strong at 19 percent higher than last year. And with an upgraded Grand Cherokee just around the corner there are some excellent discounts on run-out models. They might be thin on the ground, and require a bit of hunting through dealerships, but you can save $6,500 on the 3.6-litre auto Laredo with free metallic paint. Jeep is also throwing in free servicing for the first two years, a saving of up to $1500 more. The smaller Jeep Compass and Patriot two-wheel-drive Sport models are on special – pay $25,000 and $26,500 respectively - with free automatic and metallic paint. With the free servicing thrown in the saving is around $7000 on both.

Kia sales have remained relatively static at 2.2 percent down on last year. But to give it a lift, the Korean car maker has sweetened June deals with a $1000 Myer gift card on the superseded Cerato hatch and sedan as well as the medium-sized Optima sedan. Pay $17,990 for the Cerato S hatch and sedan and save $4000 plus gain the gift card. The just superseded 2.0-litre manual 2WD Sportage at $26,990 saves $3800 and also gains a $1000 Myer Gift Card while the latest Series II variant does not.

A series of updated and new models – led by the arrival of the fourth-generation Range Rover – has meant Land Rover sales are down by a measly 0.5 percent. The British off-road maker is currently offering a two year/50,000km extended warranty insurance policy on top of the standard three year/100,000 factory warranty. There’s also $5800 worth of free accessories on the Range Rover Evoque, Discovery 4, Range Rover Sport and Freelander 2. No discounts are being offered on the new Range Rover, but with a new Range Rover Sport on its way later this year there are deals to be had on that model. You can also haggle $3000 off top-end Evoque models.

With a new IS range due to arrive next month, Lexus is aiming to build on the 3.3 percent sales increase in the second half of the year. There are good deals to be had on the run-out stock of the current IS, with discounts of between $4000 and $6000, but also incentives – such as a 1.8 percent comparison finance rate – on the CT200h hybrid hatch and RX SUV. Negotiate up to $4000 off RX350 SUV and RX450h hybrid SUVs, and similarly on the GS sedan. There’s $20,000 savings available on the luxury LS460 and LS600h hybrid saloons, but most will be an over-allowance on your trade-in.

Popular Japanese car maker remains strong with sales steady at 0.4 percent up compared to last year. With the Toyota Corolla recently displacing the Mazda3 as Australia’s top-selling car – and with an all-new hatch due to be revealed next week – Mazda has dropped a further $500 off the 3’s price, down to $20,490. Discounts of up to $3000 can now be had on the Mazda 6 petrol models and up to $3500 on diesel variants. It could be tough, but you can negotiate a $2000 deal on CX-5 and CX-9 SUV’s.

With a fresh new Quattroporte and revived Ghibli sedans on the way, Maserati sales are expected to soar beyond the 19.2 increase it has already achieved. Good discounts are still achievable on some top-end models – up to $30,000 – but mostly hidden within trade-in prices.

The three-pointed star has shone bright in the first half of 2013, recording a 21.7 percent increase in sales. Mercedes-Benz is currently offering a refund of the GST component on B-Class, C-Class and CLS models. On the 1.6-litre B180 hatch, at $44,500, the saving is $3,600. It rises to $6100 on the 1.8-litre C250 Avantgarde sedan at $74,000 and is as much as $15,900 on the 4.7-litre V8 CLS 500 four-door coupe at $224,700.

There are no deals yet on the popular new A-Class or the just-arrived new E-Class. With the new S-Class set to arrive before the end of the year, negotiate hard on remaining stock of the flagship limousine and expect to save $30,000 on top-end models.

Sales of the retro British small hatch family are up 5.4 percent. Most models have significant options but expect a minimum $1000 discount on the Mini Cabrio, $2500 on the two-door Cooper, $3500 on the five-door Clubman and $4000 on the four-door Countryman wagon. The 1.6-litre manual Cooper hatch can be negotiated from $34,000 and the 1.6-litre manual Clubman van from $37,000.

With the arrival of models like the cheap-as-chips Mirage, Mitsubishi sales has risen 13.9 per cent so far this year. The small 1.2-litre manual Mirage hatch is back to its launch price of $12,990 with $1000 cash back and the small 2.0 manual ASX 2WD SUV is $24,990 with a $1000 cash back, a total saving of $5700. The best Mitsubishi deal is the 3.2-litre V6 auto Pajero VRX 4WD - now $59,990 with a $3000 cash back – offering a total saving of $8000. The 2.5-litre turbo diesel manual Triton GLX-R dual-cab ute is currently $38,990 plus $2000 cash back, for a total saving of $5800.

Nissan’s recent growth has slowed down a bit, but sales are still up by 10.6 percent this year. It is currently offering a zero percent finance across the Micra, Almera, Pulsar sedan, Maxima, Dualis and Dualis + 2 range. The sharpest package here is the 1.8-litre manual ST Pulsar sedan at $19,990 drive-away, a saving of $2570. Nissan has also slashed the Leaf electric hatch by $7000 to $39,990.

The 3.5-litre V6 Murano ST and Ti automatic SUVs also benefit from a $4000 factory bonus while the relatively new 5.6-litre V8 Patrol SUV benefits from a 2.9 per cent finance comparison rate. Another sharp buy is the 2.0-litre manual X-Trail ST 2WD SUV at $25,990 after a $4000 factory bonus. The popular manual 2.5-litre turbo-diesel Navara ST-R 4 x 4 dual-cab ute is reduced to $28,990 with $3000 cash back – providing a total saving over $11,000.

German brand is still building momentum and all models are currently being offered with free on-road costs. The best-selling 1.4-litre turbo six-speed manual Astra five-door hatch at $22,990 saves $4500.

Even with a swag of new models, such as the great little 208 hatch, Peugeot sales are down 2.5 percent. The French brand is currently offering free on-road costs on 4008, 4007, 308 and 3008 models. The best-selling Peugeot 4008 2.0-litre manual Active SUV is currently $29,990 drive-away - a $5000 saving - while the larger seven-seat 2.2-litre turbo-diesel auto 4007 SV SUV at $39,990 saves $8000. You can save $4000 on the 1.6-litre turbo auto 3008 wagon at $36,490. And discounts on the 5008 sedan and wagon run from $3000 to $5000 on higher grade models. Most dealers will negotiate $1000 off the new 208 hatch too.

Porsche sales have risen 34.4 percent so far this year, and the strong dollar allowed the German sportscar brand to drastically reduce prices on almost all of its models recently. Even with the cuts you can still negotiate discounts of around $10,000 on 911 coupe and cabriolet and up to $30,000 on top-end models.

The Malaysian brand is still trying to gain traction and sales are down 46.8 percent so far this year. The 1.6-litre Preve GX sedan now represents half of Proton sales but is little known. Because of that, you can pay $18,990 driveaway, saving $3500, plus gain five-year/75,000km worth of free servicing as well as a five-year 150,000km warranty and free road side assist.

In contrast to its French rivals, Renault has recorded a 55.7 percent increase in sales. Like its Japanese partner, Nissan, it is offering zero percent comparison rate finance on some models, including the Koleos SUV, which is selling for $26,990 for the 2.5-litre Expression 2WD for a $4000 saving. The Megane five-door hatch has 1.9 per cent comparison rate finance, and the best buy is the 2.0-litre manual Megane Dynamique, which at $22,990 is a saving of $6700. Other models to enjoy a special finance rate of 2.9 per cent are the Fluence and the larger Latitude sedans and the 2.0-litre CVT Megane coupe/cabriolet at $43,990 saves over $6000.

Only six new Rollers have been moved so far this year, which shows that price reductions – up to $280,000 on the flagship Phantom - introduced last December haven’t increased sales. The more affordable $645,000 Ghost can be negotiated down to around $600,000, but most of the savings may be hidden in a trade-in over-allowance.

Sales of the Czech brand have fallen 6.0 percent so far this year. And now all models offer driveaway pricing. But discounts of up to $9000 can still be had on the 2.0-litre 125TDI DSG auto Superb Elegance wagon at $46,490. Also save nearly $8000 on the 1.4-litre manual Octavia 90TSI DSG auto with a host of extra equipment including Sat Nav for $23,990. Most other Octavia models carry discounts of at least $4000.

The tiny city car has increased in popularity with an 11.5 percent increase in sales. But you can still negotiate up to $3700 off both the hard and soft top models; pay $18,990 drive-away for the 1.0-litre turbo five-speed automated manual ForTwo coupe and $20,990 for the cabrio.

Japanese all-paw brand sales have eased a little, recording a dip of 3.6 percent so far in 2013. The best savings can be had on the slow-selling 3.6R auto Tribeca premium SUV; pay $52,990 for 2012-build stock and save over $6000 or pay $54,000 for the 2013-build and save nearly $5000. Negotiate another $3000 off the 2012 models to reflect one year’s depreciation. The popular XV SUV now carries free registration, CTP and Stamp Duty. Pay only dealer delivery – $36,500 for the top-spec 2.0i-S CVT auto – and save over $2000. A saving of $3500 can be had on the 2.0-litre manual Impreza AWD hatch and sedan, with prices starting around $23,990. Subaru is also adding free on-road costs for Forester and Outback demonstrators – but look for 2013 models with delivery kilometres only.

Small Japanese car maker is down a tad with a 2.2 percent reduction in sales. An update for the small SX4 five-door hatch is coming, so there is now a limited–edition Navigator pack that includes sat nav and is good buying at $19,990. But there’s scope to haggle for a further $1000 discount. Likewise, the 2.4-litre manual Grand Vitara Urban 2WD SUV with the Navigator pack has some excellent add-ons for $29,990 – and you can negotiate another $1000 off. The excellent 2.4-litre Kizashi sedan remains somewhat of a secret; pay $35,990 for the top-line auto AWD Sport and save $4000.

Toyota has created a massive lead in the sales race with figures down just 0.5 percent so far this year. The best savings can be had is on 2012 build 4.5-litre diesel auto Land Cruiser 200 4WDs – pay $79,990 and save over $18,000, which equates to one year’s depreciation. Save nearly $5000 on the 3.5-litre auto Kluger KX-R 2WD SUV at $39,990 and a similar amount on the 3.0 manual diesel HiLux 4 x 4 pick-up, also at $39,990. The 2.5-litre auto Camry Altise sedan at $29,990 saves nearly $4000, but most dealers will knock another $2000 off. And all Camry and Aurion models are available with 2.9 per cent comparison rate finance.

Sales are up by 9.3 percent, but dealers are doing it hard after VW’s recent high-profile gearbox recall. While the Polo, Jetta, Passat and Tiguan SUV can be bought this month with free on-road costs recent deals, the new Golf range can also now be negotiated with a similar deal and you can save between $3600 and $4500 depending on model.

The Passat sedan, now with rear-view camera and Sat Nav, is a good buy; pay $39,690 with free metallic paint for the 118TSi DSG auto and save around $4000.

The biggest savings can be found on the Toureg SUV; pay $82,990 for the 3.5-litre V6 diesel auto and save $10,500. Also get zero finance on commercial vehicles.

Sales for the Swedish brand are down 10.6 per cent. To give it a boost, Volvo is now offering a ‘Freedom’ package with three years free scheduled servicing and three years warranty. It is also adding three years free fuel by way of a BP Pre Pay card, which is capped at a maximum figure calculated using the vehicle’s average fuel consumption over 45,000km with a fuel price of $1.50/litre. It is available on all models except for the latest V40 hatch. You can also negotiate $3000 discounts on Volvo’s two best-sellers, the XC60 and XC90 SUVs.